Cotton picker drum construction



Oct. 25', 1955 A. l.. HUBBARD 2,721,436

CCT'roN PICKER DRUM CONSTRUCTION Filed Aus. 18. 1952 s sheets-sheet 1 lvlnnlll I 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEYS INVENTOR. A. L. HUBBARD NEN/f1,

Oct. 25, 1955 A. HUBBARD COTTON PICKER DRUM CONSTRUCTION Filed Aug. 18, 1952 FIC-5.3

Oct. 25, 1955 A. L. HUBBARD 2,721,436

COTTON PICKER DRUM CONSTRUCTION Filed Aug. 18, 1952 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 ,w 5 FIG. I3

IN VEN TOR. A.L .HUBBARD ATTORNEYS United States Patent O COTTON PICKER DRUM CONSTRUCTION Arthur L. Hubbard, Madrid, Iowa, assignor to Deere Manufacturing Co., Dubuque, Iowa, a corporation of Iowa Application August 18, 1952, Serial No. 304,940

Claims. (Cl. 56-47) This invention relates to a cotton picker drum construction and more particularly to improved means for supplying lubricant or other iiuid to the various working parts of the assembly.

A typical cotton picker of the spindle type, in which rotating spindles are used to gather the cotton, will comprise a drum unit made up of an upright structure rotatable about avertical axis and having an upper drum head for carrying a circular series of upright spindlesupporting columns. In each of these columns is a vertical shaft having a drivable end portion projecting above the drum head. Each of these portions is in the form of a pinion in mesh with a gear carried by a sleeve surrounding the drum shaft. The sleeve and drum shaft are relatively rotatable. In some-cases, the sleeve may be fixed so that as the drum rotates, the meshing pinions and gear will cause the spindle shafts to rotate; and in other cases, the driving gear is driven at a speed different from that of the drum shaft so as to accelerate the speed of rotation of the spindle shafts relative to the rotating drum. In vertically spacedrelation along each of the spindle columns is a vertical series of radially outwardly projecting spindles, which-may or may not be barbed. These spindles enter the cotton plants as the machine progresses. Each spindle-driving shaft has a plurality of driving means, normally in the form of bevel pinions, meshing with similar bevel pinions on the individual spindles.

In one well-known construction, each vertical column carries twenty spindles and there may be anywhere from ten to sixteen columns, all of which means that the drum construction is relatively complex and has quite a few moving parts. All of these parts require lubrication, of course, and pastand present designs make provision for lubrication. v

However, these designs are not adequate in every respect, because of the problem of conveying the lubricant from a source coaxial with the drum shaft to the radially located spindle driving shafts. This problem is made a little more difiicult to solve because of the differences in speeds of rotation between the drum shaft and the driving member that drives the spindle shafts. A typical design of current'cotton picker drum construction is shown in the U. S. patent to Johnston 2,140,631. In this construction, a central shaft has a plurality of radially outwardly projecting conduits, equal in number to the spindle-driving shafts. Lubricant is supplied through an axial bore extending downwardly in the shaft, this bore communicating with the conduits so that lubricant is ultimately carried to the spindle-driving shafts. A principal defect in a construction of this nature is that the radially extending conduits are excessively long `and are apt to become damaged to such an extent as tof materially lower the lubricant-conveying capacity thereof.

According to one form of the invention, the design is such that the radially extending conduits may be made materially shorter and as such are substantially more ice rigid and therefore are capable of withstanding forces that would damage longer conduits. In another form of the invention radial passages formed directly in the distributing means eliminate the necessity for separate tubes. The basis of both forms of the invention lies in a novel design in which the members that rotate at different speeds are in the form of a drum shaft encircled by a sleeve, the concentricity of the two being Such that an annular Huid-receiving space is provided between the two. A single conduit extends from this space and projects downwardly through the driving member. A distributing element keyed to the drum or drum shaft has a circular set of pockets, equal in number to the spindledriving shaft and the periphery of this means or element is in close proximity to the spindle columns so that the plurality of conduits or passages that project radially and individually from the pockets to the spindle columns need not be excessively long. Since the distributing means is carried by the drum shaft and since the single conduit from the fiuid-receiving space is carried by the driving member, the single conduit discharges successively into the circular set of pockets. As long as the speeds of rotation of the driving member and the drum shaft are different, the pockets are assured of adequate supplies of lubricant or other fiuid.

It is a specific object of the invention to arrange the driving member in such manner that it closely overlies the pocketed distributing means, whereby the driving member is in the nature of a cover and is imperforate except for an opening to accommodate the single conduit from the duid-receiving space.

A further object of the invention is to provide the distributing means as a circular element separate from and driven with the drum head. In another form of the invention it is an object to produce a drum head design that incorporates the distributing means as a part thereof.

The foregoing and other important objects and desirable features inherent in and encompassed by the invention will lbecome apparent as preferred embodiments of the invention are disclosed in the following detailed description and accompanying sheets of drawings in which Figure l is an elevational view with parts broken away and shown in section of a cotton picker drum construction embodying one form of the invention.

Figure 2 is a schematic perspective view showing a portion of the driving mechanism.

Figure 3 is a section taken on the line 3 3 of Figure l.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary view similar to Figure 1 but illustrating another form of the invention.

Figure 6 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 6 6 of Figure 5.

Figure 7 is a transverse fragmentary sectional View taken on the line 7-7 of Figure 6.

Figure 8 is another view similar to Figure 5 but showing a further modified form of the invention.

Figure 9 is a perspective view of the distributing element per se used in the modification of Figure 8.

Figure 10 is an enlarged portion of Figure 8 showing the detail of the means for distributing lubricant from the reservoir space to the distributing member.

Figure 1l is an enlarged sectional view on the line 11--11 of Figure 8.

Figure 12 is an enlarged sectional view on the line 12-12 of Figure 8.

Figure 13 is a View similar to Figs. 5 and 8 and showing a still further modified form of the invention.

Figure 14 is a sectional View taken on the line 14--14 of Figure 13.

The disclosure in the patent mentioned above will serve as a basis for an understanding of the entire cotton picker machine and therefore many of the details of the background structure will be omitted here. lt will be understood, of course, that basic structures different from that herein disclosed or that disclosed in the Johnston patent mentioned above are susceptible to the adaptation of the improvements forming the subject matter of the present invention.

Figures 1-4 The picker construction fundamentally involves some kind of a support, which includes a secondary support in the form of a lubricant-containing housing having a top wall or cover 12 and a bottom wall or door 14. The bottom wall or oor has a circular opening 16 therein for accommodating a vertical sleeve 18. This sleeve has an upper part 20 within the lubricant-containing compartment of the housing 10 and a lower part 22 below the housing floor 14. The upper part 20 of the sleeve 13 has secured thereto an input member in the form of a gear 24 in constant mesh with an intermediate gear 26. The gear 26 is keyed to a short shaft 28 journaled at its opposite ends in bearings 30 and 32 respectively in the cover 12 and oor 14 of the housing or support 10.

As illustrated schematically in Figure 2, the secondary or intermediate gear 26 is in constant mesh with a driving pinion 34 which is rigid or unitary with an input bevel pinion 36. A driving or power shaft 38 has keyed thereto a bevel pinion 40 which is in constant mesh with the input pinion 36. The power shaft 38 may be driven in any suitable manner not important here.

There is also secured to the upper part of the sleeve 18 a doffer-driving sprocket 42 about which is trained a chain 44 to drive a sprocket 46 keyed to the upper end of a vertical dolfer shaft 48. The shaft 4S carries thereon a vertical series of doffers such as shown at S0 in Figure 2. An idler sprocket 52 completes the drive from the sprocket 42 to the doffer shaft d8. These details form no part of the present invention but are illustrated to disclose somewhat the relatively complex nature of the mechanism.

The sleeve 18 loosely surrounds or is concentric with a vertical drum shaft 54 which has an upper part 56 within the lubricanbcontaining compartment of the support or housing 10 and a lower part 58 at a level considerably below the lower part 22 of the sleeve 18. The upper part 56 of the drum shaft 54 is appropriately journaled in a bearing 68 supported in the cover 12 of the housing or support 10. An intermediate part of the drum shaft is journaled by a bearing 62 at the lower part 22 of the sleeve 18. The concentricity of the sleeve 18 and drum shaft 54 is such that there is provided an annular fluid-receiving space, or fluid receiver, 64 between the upper and lower ends or parts of the sleeve 18.

Stated otherwise, the receiver 64 may be said to be formed Y on or as part of the sleeve 18. An upper iiuid seal means 66 closes the upper end of the receiver 64, this seal cooperating between the inside surface of the sleeve 18 and the outside surface of the drum shaft 54, as will be obvious. A lower seal or bottom element 68 closes the bottom of the receiver 64.

' In addition to the bearings 60 and 62, a third bearing to an input or shaft-driving gear 72 which is in constant mesh with an idler 74 keyed to the short shaft to which is keyed the idler 26. Since the idlers 3.6 and 74 are both driven from the input gear 34, and since the two idlers are of different diameters and the gears i 24 and 72 are of different diameters, the shaft S4 and sleeve 18 will have different speeds of rotation.

The lower part 58 of the drum shaft 54 has connected thereto in any appropriate manner the hub portion of a drum head 76 and the head and shaft together form a drum element. This head is generally circular as viewed from above and is, of course, coaxial with the drum shaft 54. The peripheral portion of the drum head is formed as a plurality or circular series of bearings 78 respectively on vertical axes and generally horizontally coplanar. As will be seen, the drum head 76 is spaced below the lower part 22 of the sleeve 18.

The drum head is part of a drum unit, designated generally by the numeral 80, including cotton picking mechanism having a plurality of hollow columns 82 journaled respectively at upper end portions thereof in the bearings 78 of the drum head. The underside of the drum head carries a circular plate 84 to which is welded an upright tubular shaft 86. The lower end of the shaft is carried in appropriate structure for supporting the drum unit for rotation about the common axis of the drum shaft 54 and sleeve 18. The details of the lower mounting are of no importance here.

Each column 82 encloses an upright spindle-driving shaft 88 and each shaft is journaled adjacent an upper portion thereof by any suitable bearing as indicated at 90. Each of the shafts 88 has keyed thereto a plurality of vertically spaced bevel pinions, only one of which is shown at 92 for each of the two shafts 88 illustrated in Figure l. Each column 82 has a plurality of vertically spaced side openings over each of which is rigidly supported a spindle carrier 94. There are, of course, as many carriers 94 as there are bevel pinions 92. Figure 1 illustrates only one carrier for each of the columns 82. But it will be understood, of course, that the plurality of carriers mentioned will be present in a typical construction. Normally there will be twenty carriers to each column and the number of columns may vary according to the design of the machine, ranging from ten to about sixteen per drum unit.

Each of the spindle carriers 94 receives a spindle bearing 96 within which is journaled a generally radially outwardly projecting cotton-picking spindle 98. The inner end of each spindle has thereon a bevel pinion 100 in constant mesh with the driving pinion 92 0n the associated spindle-driving shaft 88. This construction is largely conventional and to the extent that the present disclosure differs in detail from other designs, the distinctions are immaterial for the present purposes.

The upper end of each column 82 projects somewhat above the drum head 76 and has keyed thereto a crank 102 on the free end of which is journaled a roller or follower 104 which follows a cam track 106 in a plate 108 fixed to the under portion of the housing or support 10. The general configuration of the cam track 106 is illustrated in dotted lines in Figure 3. The details of a representative structure are not important here and may be trained from an examination of the Johnston patent referred to above. Since the cam track 106 is of a different shape than and is oiset from the circle on which lie the axes of the spindle-driving shafts 88, the spindle columns 82 will be caused to oscillate about the vertical axes at 78 as the entire drum unit 80 rotates about the axis of the drum shaft 54. This motion will cause the spindles 98 to assume different positions as they move into and out of the plant rows and through the associated doffers 50, all as is generally conventional.

Each of the spindle-driving shafts 88 has an upper part 110 that projects above the upper end of its column 82. This part may be said to include a drivable member or portion in the form of a small pinion 112 and all the pinions 112 are coplanar in a horizontal plane above the drum head 76 and below the floor 14 of the support or housing 10. These pinions are in constant mesh with a relatively large driving gear 114 which constitutes a driving member for rotating the spindle shafts 88 via the pinions 112. This driving member forms a part of the driving element that includes the driving sleeve 18, being in the present instance illustrated as a separate component having its hub portion secured to a flange 116 on the sleeve 18 by means of a plurality of cap screws 118. Since the drum shaft 54 and driving member comprising the sleeve 18 and gear 114 are driven by separate input members (72 and 24, respectively), and since the speeds of rotation are different, it will be seen that the drum unit 80 will rotate about the common axis of the sleeve 18 and drum shaft 54 and that the gear 114 will drive the spindle shafts 88 as the drum rotates. As pointed out above, the sleeve 18 and gear 114 could be rigid so that there is a difference in speeds of rotation, even though the sleeve 18 and gear 114 are stationary. It is not unknown, especially in the older designs, to construct a drum unit in this fashion. In the particular design shown, wherein there are twelve columns 82, the drum shaft 54 has a speed of 80 R. P. M., whereas the speed of rotation of the sleeve 18 and driving member 114 is 323 R. P. M., resulting in a relative R. P. M. of 243. As will appear as the description progresses, the specific difference in R. P. M. is not in and of itself critical, as long as there is some difference. This difference may be accomplished as pointed out above by holding the sleeve 18 stationary. It is obvious, of course, that the difference in R. P. M. may be accomplished by causing rotation of the drum shaft in one direction and rotation of the sleeve 18 and driving gear 114 in the opposite direction.

As described above, the concentric relationship between the sleeve 18 and the drum shaft 54 is such as to provide the lubricant receiver 64. Means is provided for supplying lubricant or other fluid to the receiver 64. In the specific design illustrated, this means includes an axial bore or passage 120 drilled from the upper end 56 of the drumshaft 54 and terminating at a point intermediate the upper and lower parts 20 and 22 of the sleeve 18. In other words, the termination of the passage or bore 120 is between the seals 66 and' 68. The shaft 54 is cross-drilled or otherwise provided with one or more radial passages as at 122. This passage communicates the axial bore 120 with the fluid receiver 64. The receiver space is enlarged at 124 in radial alinement with the passage 122 so as to accommodate the discharge of fluid or lubricant from the passage 122, which discharge will, of course,V be considerably affected by the centrifugal force as the unit rotates. The upper end of the passage 120 is counterbored at 126 to loosely receive a fitting 128 rigid in the cover 12 of the housing 10. The fitting 128 hasv an inlet 130 to which may be connected any suitable source of fluid -or lubricant supply, the details of which are immaterial here.

lf conventional lubricant is used in the passage 120 and receiver 64, this lubricant will be of a lower viscosity than that used in the lubricant-containing compartment provided by the housing 10. This follows from the difference between the spindle shafts and their components and the larger driving components such as the gears 24 and 72. The upper seal 66 in the receiver prevents the heavy lubricant from commingling with the lighter lubricant in the receiver 64. The lower seal 68 prevents escape of the lighter lubricant from the receiver. The seal 71 in the fioor opening 16 prevents the escape of lubricant from the compartment in the housing or support 10.

It is a feature of the present invention to provide novel means for conveying the lubricant from the receiver 64 to the interiors of the columns 82. As, discussed generally above, this result hasbeen previously accomplished by providing a plurality of conduits extending radially from a central passage such as that at 120 to the individual columns suc-h as shown at 82. As also mentioned above, a serious problem arises because 6 of the difference in R. P. M. between the drum unit and the driving gear 114.

According to the present invention, this problem is eliminated and the entire lubricating system is materially improved. A' fundamental part of the improved lubricating system is a lubricant distributor means in the form of a circular member 132 having a plurality or circular set of individual pockets 134 therein. These pockets are equal in number to, and are uniformly angularly spaced on the order of, the columns 82. Each pocket 134 is provided with an individual relatively short discharge conduit means in the form of a tube 136. Each of the conduits is threaded into a peripheral wall of the distributing member 132 and the pockets 134 are partially baied or separated by low walls or baies 138. Each of these baffles rises to a height substantially to the top of the bore (as at into which the associated short conduit 136 is threaded.

Each of the columns 82 is slit or otherwise provided with a side opening 142 to accommodate the associated conduit 136. Since the distributor 132 is keyed or otherwise secured to the drum shaft 54 (here shown as achieving this result by being secured to the drum head 76), there will be no angular movement between the conduits 136 and the columns 82 about the axis of the drum shaft 54. However, since the columns 82 can oscillate about their own axes, the slots or slits 142 have a substantial angular extent so as not to contact the conduits 136 during operation of the unit. In other words, each conduit 136 remains in communication with its associated column 82 and at no time during normal operation is there any change in relative positions.

Another feature of the invention is the means whereby fluid or equivalent lubricant is conveyed from the receiver 64 to the pockets 134 in the lubricant distributor 132. In the specific structure illustrated, this means comprises a single conduit or passage means, designated generally by the numeral 144, and comprising a tube 146 having at its upper end a fitting 148 threaded into an appropriately tapped bore or outlet 150 that extends through the wall of the sleeve 18 for communication with the receiver 64 intermediate its upper and lower ends as defined by the upper and lower seals 66 and 68. The tube 146 is bent downwardly to extend through a small opening 152 in the driving gear 114, and the lower end 154 of the tube 146 terminates short of the level of the bafiies or low walls 138 in the distributor 132. As shown, the discharge end 154 of the conveying means 144 lies within the confines Of the two circles defining the circular series of pockets. Hence, the means 144 will always discharge into the circular` series of pockets.

The drum shaft 54, drum head 76 and distributor 132 will, of course, rotate as a unit. The speed of rotation of this unit will differ from that of the sleeve 18 and driving gear 114, which will rotate together as a second unit. As long as there is a supply of lubricant or fluid in the receiver 64 at a level high enough to ow out through the means 144, this fluid will be carried downwardly through the driving gear 114 to be discharged into the pockets 134 as these pockets successively appear under the discharge end 154 of the tube 146. It follows, of course, that the pockets 134 receive lubricant successively or serially because of the relative rotation of the two units just described.

It will be observed that the driving gear 114 is imperforate except for the opening 152 that accommodates the tube 146. Since the driving gear 114 closely overlies the distributor 132, the driving gear serves as a cover or enclosure for the pockets and thus prevents to a large extent the entrance of dirt, cotton and other material into the pockets. Accordingly, the problem of clogging of the conduits 136 is eliminated.

The entire structure is relatively compact and is such that it may be readily incorporated into conventional designs without materially altering the fundamental design. The use of relatively short lengths of tubing for conduits eliminates the problems of bending, breakage and other damage. The radial extent of each of the conduits 136 is relatively short. The conduit or passage means 144 is, although externally of the sleeve 118, relatively closely associated with the sleeve and assures additional compactness in the design.

Figures 5, 6 and 7 To the extent that Figure is similar to Figure l, identical reference characters will be used. in those cases in which the modified design differs from the basic design of Figure l, similar reference characters followed by the suiiix or exponent a will be used.

With this in mind, it will be seen that Figure 5 comprises essentially the same components as Figure 1 with the exception that the distributor means 132 of Figure l is incorporated in Figure 5 directly into the drum head 76a, this drum head having an annular portion thereof formed with a plurality of upwardly opening, circumferentially spaced lubricant pockets 134a communicating radially outwardly respectively with drilled passages 13641. The pockets are lower than the hub of the drum head and are formed by a plurality of circumferentially spaced upstanding ribs or dividers 138:1 that extend radially outwardly over the intermediate portion of the drum head that slopes downwardly and outwardly from the hub to the pockets. Each of the passages 136a communicates via an arcuate recess 142a with a drilled passage 14Go in the Sleeve S2 of the column. The arcuate recess 142a is provided to accommodate oscillation of the picker bar or column so that there will be no misalinement of the passages 136a and 140a.

Another difference between Figures 1 and 5 is that the gear 114 is replaced by a gear 114er, the latter having therein a perforation or bore 152a for accommodating the means 144:1 which has a depending part 146er terminating at 154rz just above the level of the pockets 134a in the distributor means-drum head 76a. The functional and operational characteristics of this form of the invention are similar to those of the modification previously described, with the exception, as previously stated, that the distributor means is incorporated in the drum head, thus permitting elimination of the separate distributing element or means 134 of Figure 1 and likewise eliminating the short radial tubes 136, these being replaced by the passages 136g and communicating recess 142a and passage 14011.

Figures 8, 9, 10, 11 and I2 Again, identical reference characters will be used to designate identical parts. Where there are fundamental differences, although basic similarities, the exponent or suffix b will be used.

In this form of the invention, the sleeve 13 is replaced by a sleeve 18b. The sleeve 18b has no side outlet for a fitting such as 148 but the lubricant receiver 64 formed between the interior of this sleeve and the exterior of the shaft 54 discharges outwardly through a bottom wall element 68b. This element has therein an outlet or fluid conduit formed by a single orifice or opening 156 and, since the element 68b rotates continually with the sleeve 18h, the discharge of lubricant from the receiver 64 is comparable to the discharge of lubricant from the means 144 of Figure 1.

The drum head 76 is the same as that in Figure l, as are its component parts. However, in this form of the invention, although a separate distributor means is utilized, this means is different from that in Figure l and is not a part of the drum head 76 as in Figure 5. The means in this form of the invention takes the form of a plate member 158 (Figure 9) preferably formed as a truncated cone of sheet metal or any other suitable material and corrugated as illustrated to provide as many inverted dividers or channels 161) as there are picker bars or columns 82. The central portion of the plate 158 is turned in to form a flange 162 between which and an interior circular plate 164 is carried a seal against dirt or lubricant, as indicated at 166 (best shown in Figure 10). The circular plate 164 has a central opening encircling the shaft 54 and also has therein a plurality of orifices or openings 168 equal in number to and respectively in radial alinement with the inverted channels 160. The circular plate is Welded at its outer edge, as at 170, to the upper central part of the means 158 and is clamped between a shoulder 172 on the shaft 54 and the hub of the drum head 76b. Thus, the means 158 is caused to rotate with the drum head and, since the drum head 76b and sleeve 18b rotate relative to each other, the discharge opening 156 drops lubricant successively into the series of apertures or orifices 168, this lubricant finding its way down the separate passages detined by the channels 16() to short radial passages 136b very similar to the passages 136a in Figure 5. Each passage 136b cornmunicates with an arcuate recess 142b and a short radial passage b in the picker bar or column 82. The components 140i) and 142b may be identical to the cornponents 14051 and 142a in Figure 5. The inverted channels thus form on top of the drum head 76b a plurality of circumferentially spaced pockets 134]; corresponding to the pockets 134 of Figure l or the pockets 134a of Figure 5. The means 158 not only forms the lubricant-receiving pockets but also serves as a cover to exclude dust and dirt and other foreign matter from the top of the drum head, the outer periphery of the plate fitting closely the annular wall 174 at the outer edge of the drum head 76b just radially inwardly of the circle of spindle bearings 78b.

The fundamental concept involved in Figures l and 5 will be seen to be present also in Figure 8. What has been said above in connection with the other two iigures, as to functional and operational characteristics, applies also to Figures 8 through 12, in addition to which the other advantages, thought to be obvious without further description, are obtainable.

Figures 13 and 14 Here again, identical reference characters will be used to designate identical parts and the exponent c will be used to designate parts that have their counterparts in other forms of the invention. As in the case of Figures 5 and 8, the drum head 76C may be utilized without the short radial tubes 136 of Figure 1. Instead, the passage 136c is used in communication with an arcuate recess 142C and a communicating passage 140e in the associated picker bar or column 82. As in Figure 5, the drum head 76a` incorporates the lubricant-distributing means therein as an integral part thereof, having a plurality of circumferentially spaced radial ribs 138C to define a plurality of circumferentially spaced, upwardly opening lubricant pockets 134e.

The upper end of the drum head is covered by a closure 158e of conical formation having an outer peripheral lip 176 overlying the upper portion of the annular wall 174C of the drum head 76C. At its apex end, the conical shield or means 158e has a perforated flange 178 secured by cap screws 180 to the ange 116C of the sleeve 18C. The receiver 64 is closed by a seal 68 identical to that disclosed in Figure l. Escape for lubricant from the receiver 64 to the pocketed distributing means '76C is accomplished by means of a single generally radially drilled passage 154C, which communicates from the receiver 64 through the wall of the lower portion of the sleeve 18e so as to be received by the pockets 134C.

Again, the fundamental operational and functional characteristics of the forms of the invention previously described are attainable in the form just disclosed. That is to say, the lubricant passage 154e, being part of the sleeve 18C, rotates relative to the drum head 76C so as to distribute lubricant in succession to the pockets 134C. Again, the shield or plate 158e serves as means to ex- 9 clude dirt and other foreign matter from the lubricant pockets.

Summary In all forms of the invention, extreme simplicity and trouble-free operation have been sought. Principally, the design involves the transfer of lubricant from the receiver 64 to the drum head or its equivalent in such manner as to distribute the lubricant successively to individual pockets.

The foregoing and other features not specifically enumerated herein will undoubtedly occur to those versed in the art, as likewise will numerous modifications and alterations in the preferred embodiments of the invention illustrated, all of which may be achieved without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A- cotton picker drum and driving construction, comprising: a drum unit rotatable about an upright axis and including a coaxial drum head and a drum shaft fixed to and rising coaxially from the drum head, said drum head further having a plurality of vertical bearings spaced uniformly radially outwardly from and uniformly angularly spaced about said shaft, and a plurality of upright spindle shafts journaled respectively in the bearings and having upper drivable members above the drum head and generally horizontally coplanar; a driving element coaxia'lly above and rotatable relative to the drum head and including a coaxial upright sleeve surrounding the drum shaft and an annular coaxial driving member joined to the sleeve for rotation therewith and having a peripheral portion generally coplanar and in driving engagement with the aforesaid drivable members; Huid-distributing means on an upper part of the drum head, directly below the driving member and radially intermediate the drum shaft and the drum head bearings, providing a set of uniformly angularly spaced fiuid pockets equal in number to the drum head bearings and a like number of generally radial passages leading respectively from the pockets to the drum head bearings; means including a portion of the sleeve above the drum head and rotatable with the sleeve and forming a fiuid receiver; and means providing a single fluid conduit confined to the driving element and independent of the drum head, said conduit having an upper end portion communicating with the uid receiver above the drum head, a contiguous intermediate portion extending downwardly through the driving element, and a lower end intermediate the driving member and the drum head and discharging into the set of pockets in the distributing means.

2. The invention defined in claim 1, in which; the means forming the fiuid receiver comprises the shaft, the sleeve and a bottom element, the sleeve loosely surrounding the shaft to provide an annular wall having an internal surface spaced concentrically from the outer surface of the shaft so as to effect an annular fluid space, the bottom element being circular and concentrically arranged at the bottom of said space to form a bottom wall, and one of said walls has a fiuid outlet included in the single conduit.

3. The invention defined in claim 2, in which: the driving member has an aperture therethrough radially intermediate the shaft and its periphery; the fiuid outlet is in the annular wall above the driving member; and the single fluid conduit is a tube having its upper end connected to said outlet, its contiguous intermediate portion external to the sleeve and leading downwardly through the driving member aperture and its discharge end leading to the set of pockets.

4. The invention defined in claim 1, in which: the distributing means is separate from the drum head and comprises an annular member coaxial with and secured to the drum unit above the drum head for rotation therewith, and said annular member includes both the pockets and the generally radial passages.

5. The invention defined in claim 1, in which: the pockets formed by the distributing means are in an annular member separate from and coaxial with the drum head and secured` to the drum unit for rotation therewith; and the generally radial passages are in the drum head.

6. The invention defined in claim 5, in which: the annular member is in the form of a truncated cone open at its top to encircle the drum shaft and having a peripheral base edge adjoining a concentric annular portion of the drum head adjacent to the drum head bearings, and said cone has a plurality of internal radially extending and uniformly angularly spaced channels forming the pockets.

7. The invention defined in claim 1, including: an an# nular cover member interposed between the driving member and the drum head and having a central opening encircling the drum shaft and a peripheral edge bordering the drum head adjacent to the drum head bearings to overlie and substantially enclose the set of pockets.

8. The invention defined in claim 1, in which: the driving member closely overlies and affords a substantial enclosure for the distributing means.

9. The invention defined in claim 1, in which: the distributing means is formed integrally with the top of the drum head and the pockets are exposed upwardly to receive fluid from the discharge end of the single conduit.

l0. The invention defined in claim 1, in which: the drum head has an annular portion adjacent to and at the level of the drum head bearings and the intermediate por tion of the drum head slopes upwardly and radially inwardly from said annular portion toward the drum shaft, and a plurality of upright, uniformly angularly spaced dividers extend radially outwardly from said sloping portion into the annular portion to form the pockets in said annular portion.

11. A cotton picker drum and driving construction, comprising: a drum unit rotatable about an upright axis and including a coaxial drum head, a drum shaft fixed to and rising coaxially therefrom, said drum head having av plurality of spindle shaft bearings on vertical axes spaced uniformly radially outwardly from and uniformly angularly about the aforesaid axis, and a plurality of spindle shafts journaled respectively in the bearings and having upper drivable portions generally horizontally coplanar above the drum head; fluid-distributing means concentric with and joined to the drum head for rotation therewith, said distributing means having an annular portion radially inwardly of and adjacent to the spindle shaft bearings and below the level of the spindle shaft drivable portions, said annular portion being divided into a set of fluid-collecting pockets equal in number to and respectively generally radially alined with the spindle shaft bearings, said distributing means further including a plurality of generally radial passage means leading individually to the bearings from the respective pockets; a driving member coaxially above the drum head and overlying the uid distributing means and rotatable relative to the drum unit, said member having an annular peripheral portion generally in the plane of and in driving engagement with the spindle shaft driving portions, said driving member having an opening therethrough; fluid-receiver means above and rotatable with the driving member and external to the drum shaft and having a fluid outlet spaced radially from the drum shaft axis; and a single fluid conduit external to the drum shaft and communicating with said outlet and leading through the opening in the driving member to -discharge into the distributing means pockets.

12. The invention defined in claim l1, in which: the opening in the driving member is concentric with and surrounds the drum shaft; the huid-receiver means is concentric with the drum shaft and has a circular bottom wall within the driving member opening and the outlet is through said bottom wall.

13. The invention defined in claim l1, in which: the fluid receiver is concentric with the drum shaft and has an annular upright wall and a circular bottom wall, the

outlet is radially through the annular wall above the driving member; the opening in the driving member is spaced radially from the drum shaft axis; and the single conduit is a tube extending through the driving member opening and having an upper end connected to said outlet and its lower end discharging to said pockets.

14. The invention dened in claim 1, in which: the means forming the fluid receiver comprises the shaft, the sleeve and a bottom element, the sleeve loosely surrounding the shaft to provide an annular Wall having an internal surface spaced concentrically from the outer surface of the shaft so as to afford an annular uid space, the bottom element being circular and concentrically arranged at the bottom of said space to form a bottom wall, and said bottom element has an aperture therethrough constituting the uid conduit.

15. A cotton picker drum and driving construction, comprising: a drum unit rotatable about an upright axis and including a coaxial drum head having a plurality of spindle shaft bearings on vertical axes spaced uniformly radially outwardly from and uniformly angularly about said axis, and a plurality of spindle shafts journaled respectively in the bearings and having upper drivable portions generally horizontally coplanar above the drum head; fluid-distributing means concentric with and joined to the drum head for rotation therewith, said distributing means having an annular portion adjacent to the spindle shaft bearings and divided into a set of huid-collecting pockets equal in number to and respectively generally radially alined with the spindle shaft bearings, said distributing means further including a plurality of generally radial passage means leading individually to the bearings from the respective pockets; a driving member coaxially above the drum head and overlying the huid-distributing means and rotatable relative to the drum unit, said member having an annular peripheral portion generally in the plane of and in driving engagement with the spindle shaft driving portions, said driving member having at least one opening therethrough radially intermediate its annular peripheral portion and the drum axis; huid-receiver means above and rotatable with the driving member and including a wall portion having at least one fluid outlet therein above the driving member; and at least one fluid conveying tube having an upper end secured to the fluidreceiver wall portion in register with said fluid outlet, an intermediate contiguous portion extending downwardly through the driving member opening and a lower end discharging successively to the pockets in the uid-distributing means during relative rotation of the driving member and drum unit.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,926,337 Johnston Sept. 12, 1933 2,024,690 Harris Dec. 17, 1935 2,140,631 Johnston Dec. 20, 1938 2,467,722 Baker Apr. 19, 1949 2,593,671 Hagen et al Apr. 22, 1952 

